Protective or hazardous duty garments are used in a variety of industries or settings to protect the wearer from hazardous conditions such as heat, smoke, cold, sharp objects, chemicals, liquids, fumes and the like. Such protective or hazardous duty garments are often used in adverse conditions, such as high heat, exposure to smoke or chemicals and the like. In addition, the wearers of such garments are often required to crouch or crawl to assume a defensive/protective position, and are often required to carry relative heavy items.
Accordingly, various areas of the garment, such as knee, elbow, shoulder, hip or other regions may be padded to provide comfort and protection. In addition, these (or other) areas of the garment may be compressed, such as when a wearer crawls on his or her knees, rests on his or her elbows or hips, or carries a load on his or her shoulders. When the garment is compressed in this manner, the heat protection of the garment may be reduced in that area. Thus, locating protective pads on these areas may provide additional heat protection and load absorbing protection to the wearer and the garment.
However, existing padding material can add additional bulk and/or weight to the garment. In addition, some padding materials may be prone to absorbing moisture which can increase the weight of the garment. In particular, the clothing may be exposed to moisture during use (i.e., when using water during firefighting), from perspiration of a wearer, during cleaning of the garment or the like. The absorption of moisture can also reduce the thermal/heat protection provided by the garment and add discomfort to the wearer. Accordingly, there is a need for a protective garment having improved pads.